OBESITY RELATED MATERNAL COMPLICATIONS IN PREGNANT WOMEN

OBJECTIVE: To determine the frequency of maternal complications in obese antenatal women.METHODOLOGY: This descriptive cross sectional study was conducted in department of obstetrics and gynecology, Lady Reading hospital, Peshawar-Pakistan, from April 2010 to March 2011. Total 250 consecutive antenatal patients with BMI 25kg/m2 (as per criteria for Asian population) were included in the study that fulfilled the inclusion criteria.Maternal complications associated with obesity like gestational diabetes,pregnancy induced hypertension (PIH), pre-eclampsia, cesarean section and reduced vaginal birth after cesarean section (VBAC) was determined. Data was analyzed by SPSS version 10.RESULTS: Out of 250 obese antenatal women, 189 (75.6%) were multigravida and 61 (24.4%) were primigravida. In 212 (84.8%) cases, BMIranged from 26-30 kg/m2 and in 38 (15.2%) cases it was 31-36kg/m2.Majority (n=166; 66.8 %) were ranging in age from 21-30 years and 190 (76%) cases had gestational age of 36–40 weeks. Gestational diabetes (20.4%), pregnancy induced hypertension (17.2%), pre-eclampsia (4.8%), increased, cesarean rate (30.4%), reduced VBAC rates (13.2%)were the common maternal complications in obese antenatal women.CONCLUSION: Obesity in pregnancy is associated with adverse maternal outcome like gestational diabetes, pregnancy induced hypertension,pre-eclampsia, increased, cesarean rate and reduced VBAC rates.